First published online July 11, 2006
Development 133, 1504e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Notch signals in context
Notch signalling controls numerous developmental cell fate decisions
through different combinations of ligands, receptors, signal transducers and
effectors. On p.
2961, Taelman and colleagues provide new insights into Notch
signalling by describing the role played by the Notch effector Hairy-related
transcription factor (XHRT1) in the development of the pronephros (embryonic
kidney) in Xenopus. The researchers show that Notch activation is
essential first for glomus (the site of blood filtration) and later for
proximal tubule fates. They report that several basic helix-loop-helix Orange
(bHLH-O) transcriptional repressors, such as XHRT1, which act as downstream
mediators of Notch signalling, have distinct and restricted dynamic expression
patterns in the developing pronephros and that their expression is regulated
by Notch. XHRT1 in particular plays a role that is distinct from that of the
other pronephric bHLH-O repressors in the early proximodistal patterning and
glomus formation of the developing pronephros. Overall, these results
highlight how Notch signalling uses different downstream effectors to send
context-dependent messages during development.
Related articles in Development:
- The Notch-effector HRT1 gene plays a role in glomerular development and patterning of the Xenopus pronephros anlagen
- Vincent Taelman, Claude Van Campenhout, Marion Sölter, Tomas Pieler, and Eric J. Bellefroid
Development 2006 133: 2961-2971.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
